1．Inquiries询价

Usually，an inquiry offers the recipient no immediate reward or advantage beyond the prospect of a future customer or the maintenance of goodwill．Therefore，your inquiry must be worded in such a way that the recipient will respond despite a hectic schedule．To do this，you must make your inquiry easy to answer．

All inquiry letters can be divided into two types:general inquiry，and specific inquiry．If the importer wants to have a general idea of the commodity，he may make a request for a price list，a catalogue，samples and other terms．This is a general inquiry．

If the importer intends to purchase goods of a certain specification，he may ask the exporter to make an offer or a quotation for the goods．That is a specific inquiry．a．Inquiry for Products

First of all，you should decide exactly what you want before you write．This should include the specific information that you need as well as the course of action you would like your reader to take．Consider this request．

Dear Sir or Madam，

Please send us information about your office copiers so that we will know whether one would be suited to our type of business．

Yours truly，

The recipient of this letter would be at a total loss to respond．Other than simply send brochures or catalogues，she could not possibly explain the advantages of her company's machines without knowing your company's needs．You have not made it easy for her to act．

Such an inquiry should include specific questions worded to elicit specific facts．Since the manufacturer of copiers may make dozens of models，the inquiry should narrow down the type your company would consider．Notice how the revised letter below makes it easier for your reader to respond．

Dear Sir or Madam，

We intend to purchase a new office copier before the end of the fiscal year1．We would like to consider an RBM copier and wonder if you have a model that would suit our needs．

Our office is small，and a copier would generally be used by only three secretaries．We run approximately 3，000 copiers a month and prefer a machine that uses regular paper．We would like a collator，but rarely need to run off2more than 25 copiers at any one time．

We would also like to know about your warranty3 and repair service．

Since our fiscal year ends on Sept．30，2014，we hope to hear from you．

Sincerely yours，

The above letter has given a clear picture of what the company is looking for，so the recipient can determine which of the company's products might interest the writer．Moreover，by mentioning the reason for inquiry，the writer motivates the recipient's response．Finally，by letting the reader know when he intends to buy，the writer has encouraged the reader to reply promptly．

b．Inquiry for Information

When a request does not hold the prospect for a potential sale，you should make your letter even more convenient for your reader:

(1)itemize and list the specific facts you want;

(2)enclose a self-addressed，stamped envelope．

(3)suggest a way in which you can reciprocate4．

Dear Mr．Greenbaum，

I am taking a course in Principles of Advertising at Smithville Community College in Smithville，Ohio，and am doing my term project5 on the ways in which American automobile manufacturers been competing in the small-car market．

I would like therefore greatly appreciate your sending me the following specifications on the new RX－7:

(1)fuel economy statistics;

(2)technological advances(such as steering system，brake system，and engine capacity);

(3)available options．

I would also find it very helpful if you told me in which magazine(or other mass media)you began your advertising campaign．

I am certain my classmates will find this information extremely interesting．I will be sure to send you a copy of my report as soon as it is complete．

Respectfully yours，

c．A General Inquiry

Dear Sirs，

We thank you for your letter of May 3 and shall be glad to enter into business relations with you．

We shall be pleased if you will kindly send us your price list，together with samples and all the necessary information regarding package and delivery．

Should your price be competitive and the date of shipment acceptable，we intend to place a large order with you．

Your early reply will be highly appreciated．

Truly yours，

d．A Specific Inquiry

We have seen your advertisement in today's China Daily and are interested in your tablecloths，especially Art．No．501 and 504．

Please quote us the lowest prices CIF C 3% Port Sudan and indicate the respective quantities of various sizes that you can supply for prompt shipment．In the meantime，please forward us representative samples．If your prices are workable and the quality is satisfactory，we shall place regular orders for fairly large numbers．

For your information，we have dealt in tablecloths for more than twenty years and have a good connection in this country．We also have some associated firms in the neighboring countries，where a ready market can be found for your products．

Your immediate attention to our inquiry and proposal would greatly oblige us．

Yours faithfully，

Generally speaking，when you send a specific inquiry，you must be sure to include complete，accurate information about the certain product you are really interested in．Any vague and incomplete indication will result in delayed deliveries，wrong merchandise and more expenditure6．

Normally，a specific inquiry should include most or all of the listed elements:

(1)the name of the item of a certain product;

(2)the item number(catalog number，style number，model number，etc．);

(3)quantity desired(often in units such as dozens，cases，reams，etc．);

(4)description(such as size，weight，color，material，finish，extra features);

(5)unit price(in trade terms such as FOB or CIF port);

(6)applicable discounts7;

(7)applicable sales tax8;

(8)total price;

(9)terms of payment(such as L/C，or charge account9，including the account number，etc．);

(10)desired delivery date(or lead time);

(11)methods of shipment(such as parcel post or air express10);

(12)delivery address(which may vary from the billing address);

(13)authorized signature11．